LOCAL News 4 Speaks With Architect Leading Design Of Oklahoma City Thunder’s Bold New $1 Billion Arena Vision

LOCAL News 4 caught up this week with the owner of the architectural firm selected to lead the charge on Oklahoma City’s next generational sports venue — the future home of the Thunder, an arena project projected to cost nearly $1 billion.

The architect, whose firm was awarded the contract earlier this year, spoke with enthusiasm, precision, and a sense of deep civic pride about what the project means for the city, the team, and the long-term development of downtown Oklahoma City. The arena is expected to replace Paycom Center and serve as the Thunder’s new home by 2029.

“It’s an incredible opportunity,” said the company’s owner, whose firm has worked on multiple major sports and entertainment venues across the U.S. “But this one’s different. This is more than a building — it’s a statement. It’s about OKC showing the world we’re not just a great basketball town — we’re a destination city ready for the next level.”

The new arena has been the talk of Oklahoma City since it was officially greenlit by voters through a special referendum in December 2023. The measure passed with strong support, backed by Thunder ownership, civic leaders, and fans who saw the arena as critical not only to keeping the team in town long-term, but also to furthering the city’s economic revitalization efforts.

Since then, the city has been in the planning and selection process, quietly vetting proposals and concepts from design firms across the country. In June, the city announced that it had selected the architectural firm now tasked with bringing the arena from dream to reality. Their resume includes NBA arenas, MLS stadiums, mixed-use entertainment districts, and transformative civic projects — but according to the firm’s leader, nothing has been quite like this.

“We’re not just designing for today’s NBA,” the architect explained. “We’re designing for what the NBA will look like 20 years from now — fan experience, media technology, locker room and training innovation, hospitality, sustainability. Every detail matters.”

Plans for the new arena are still in development, but the early concepts are expected to include:

• A seating capacity slightly larger than Paycom Center’s current 18,000+, with flexible configurations for concerts, esports, and other large events.

• Enhanced fan zones, social viewing spaces, and digital engagement screens throughout the arena’s concourses.

• A top-tier hospitality suite system, rivaling the most luxurious venues in pro sports.

• Advanced locker rooms and training facilities built for recovery, performance analytics, and player health.

• Sustainability as a central feature — with eco-conscious construction, efficient energy use, and possible LEED certification.

And perhaps most importantly: an architectural identity that captures Oklahoma City’s bold, resilient character.

“This won’t look like a clone of every other arena,” the architect said. “We’re creating something authentic. Something rooted in OKC’s spirit — its rise, its people, its commitment to doing things its own way.”

LOCAL News 4 also learned that the architectural firm is working closely with a community advisory panel, the Thunder’s leadership, and other local stakeholders. Public input sessions are expected to begin in the coming months, giving citizens a chance to voice their hopes and concerns about the new facility.

Mayor David Holt has said repeatedly that the new arena isn’t just about basketball — it’s about securing Oklahoma City’s momentum and continuing to make the city a place where people want to live, work, and invest.

“This will be a landmark for the next generation of Oklahomans,” Holt said in a recent public address. “It’s about our future — and making sure that future is even brighter than our remarkable past two decades.”

The Paycom Center, originally opened in 2002 as the Ford Center, was one of the NBA’s most modest homes when the Thunder arrived from Seattle in 2008. Though it’s undergone multiple renovations, NBA commissioner Adam Silver and others have quietly noted that the team will eventually need a new building to remain competitive with larger markets in terms of fan experience and player facilities.

The nearly $1 billion price tag is being funded through a combination of city-backed temporary sales tax extension (passed by voters), contributions from Thunder ownership, and future naming rights and sponsorship revenue. The Thunder have committed to remain in Oklahoma City through 2050 as part of the arena agreement — a major win for the city, especially amid ongoing NBA expansion speculation involving places like Las Vegas and Seattle.

The new arena will likely be built just south of the existing Paycom Center site, near Oklahoma City’s Scissortail Park and the newly developed convention center and Omni Hotel. The area is already becoming a high-energy, walkable entertainment district — and the arena is expected to become the centerpiece.

“We think it’s important that the arena be part of a connected, vibrant neighborhood,” the architect explained. “This is about creating something that contributes to the everyday life of the city — not just when the Thunder are playing.”

As LOCAL News 4 stood near the future site during its interview, with cranes and cranes filling the skyline, it was clear that the momentum in Oklahoma City is real. Since the turn of the millennium, the city has undergone a remarkable transformation — powered in part by the MAPS (Metropolitan Area Projects) initiatives that helped deliver civic amenities like the Bricktown Canal, the streetcar system, and the Paycom Center itself.

This new arena is MAPS 4’s biggest swing yet — and the city has entrusted a firm known for delivering complex, iconic structures that fit seamlessly into their environments.

“We don’t want this to be a monument to us as architects,” the owner said. “We want it to be something people in OKC are proud of for decades — a place where history happens, from NBA Finals games to concerts, graduations, and moments of civic pride.”

Thunder fans, for their part, have responded with a mix of excitement and nostalgia. While many have fond memories of the current arena — including the team’s 2012 Finals run and the electric atmosphere during Russell Westbrook’s MVP season — the promise of a new building, purpose-built for the modern era, has sparked wide anticipation.

“This is our team, and now it’s going to have a home that matches the passion we bring every night,” one fan told LOCAL News 4 during a recent Thunder community event. “We’re not a small-market city anymore. We’re showing the league and the world that we belong at the top.”

The Thunder organization has remained relatively quiet about specific design details, deferring to the city and the architect until plans are finalized. But insiders tell LOCAL News 4 that ownership is deeply engaged in the design process and committed to building a best-in-class NBA experience — one that could host All-Star games, NCAA tournaments, and even future Olympic events.

For the architect, the stakes are clear — and the opportunity is rare.

“You don’t get many chances to design a building that helps define a city,” the owner said, standing in the Oklahoma sun with renderings in hand. “This is one of those chances. And we’re going to get it right.”

The arena is expected to break ground in 2026 and be completed in time for the 2029-30 NBA season. Until then, fans, civic leaders, and the entire state of Oklahoma will be watching — and dreaming — as one of the biggest projects in city history begins to take shape.